Fabric shrank-- before my eyes!

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04-10-2011, 02:26 PM

#51

Prism99

Power Poster

Join Date: Dec 2008

Location: Western Wisconsin

Posts: 12,930

Quote:

Originally Posted by JanetLW

What do you with jelly rolls that can't be prewashed? Do you starch and press them or just use as they are?

I would just use them "as is". Wouldn't want to take a chance on starch shrinking them.

04-10-2011, 07:35 PM

#52

Minnisewta

Senior Member

Join Date: Jun 2010

Location: Minnesota

Posts: 997

I always pre wash !!!!!

04-10-2011, 08:38 PM

#53

k9dancer

Super Member

Join Date: Aug 2010

Location: Mena, Arkansas

Posts: 1,351

Quote:

Originally Posted by justwannaquilt

Starch and press BEFORE you cut. I never prewash, I have seen some fabrics shrink as I am spraying them with starch! I always starch before cutting for this exact reason. Wasting expensive fabric!

My thoughts exactly. I estimate how much fabric I need, add a bit for waste, and tear off a slab of fabric. Then I starch a couple of times BEFORE I cut my strips, and I use a HOT iron each time.

04-11-2011, 01:57 AM

#54

kaykwilts

Senior Member

Join Date: Feb 2011

Location: North Central Texas

Posts: 378

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaciqltznok

Quote:

Originally Posted by TonnieLoree

While it seems complaint worthy, did you read the care instruction on the end of the bolt? If you over-looked that little piece of information, you probably will not be compensated for your loss. If it is not printed I would request a refund, or credit or new fabric all together.

seriously...a refund...COTTON fabric shrinks when it gets wet and it hit with heat...it is a world wide known fact that has been on the record books for thousands of years....
Anyone who has ever sewn clothing(and 99% of all quilter's) know that shrinkage occurs with cotton fabric...like don't buy a cotton TEE unless you get a size larger so it can shrink....don't buy cotton towels with heavy banding on the ends because when the towel shrinks the banding does too and it makes your towel funky on the ends....

cotton fabric shrinks...the bolt does not have to tell you that, LOGIC tells you that!

wow...that's why I have so many funky towel ends in my linen cupboard...I spend a good part of every folding session stretching back out the end of my towels so they will lay as flat as possible on the shelf....I never thought about the reason why...I just figured all towels did that from time to time :roll: Man..don't I feel stupid!! :oops:

I prewash...just a habit cause I hate surprises later... :shock:

04-15-2011, 05:32 AM

#55

Jo Mama

Senior Member

Join Date: Nov 2007

Location: N.W. Florida

Posts: 866

Boy!!! I will always wash my fab first now, Thanks :thumbup:

05-01-2011, 04:30 PM

#56

jdavis

Super Member

Join Date: Feb 2009

Location: Western NYS

Posts: 3,278

My mother had a similar shrinking problem recently. She spritzed some fabric squares, and left them on the ironing board overnight. when she got back to them in the morning, they had shrunk. Unbelievable.
I'm glad I prewash and dry!

05-30-2011, 09:07 PM

#57

Judy C

Member

Join Date: Apr 2011

Location: Montana

Posts: 48

There is more than one way to shrink fabric and You just learned one of them. If I have a lot of fabric to preshrink I put it through a rinse cycle and dry it in the dryer to damp dry and Iron it. If I only have a 1/2 yard or a few fat quarters I spray it and iron it as you did.
Some fabrics shrink a lot and some don't but I don't like surprises.